As you know, recently I started a part-time job at a local indoor gun range. Along with many benefits, one in particular is wearing my pistol openly in a holster on my belt. Not such a big deal right? Well it is in a way. One gets funny comments from customers.

I like to wear a gun when I am working. It is a gun range. I am an employee. We don’t really have a common uniform so to stand out from the crowd it is nice to wear one. Again, it is a gun range. I guess one could be concerned a crazy person may come in and try to hold the place up. But really? With a dozen armed and ready people? I guess the main reason is it is just fun. The pistols I wear are my bigger 1911 pieces. Not one to really wear concealed. Too big. But for the day I can. And yes, it is loaded. In fact, loaded and ready. “Cocked and locked”. In two days I had two male customers lean in to me and whisper “Did you know you know you have a loaded mag in your gun and the hammer is back? I was speechless! I just leaned back to them and whispered “yes”. They looked at me strangely as I did them. I was not sure if they thought I was completely unaware or do they not know one has the right to do this? My co-worker Shelley said she used to get this sometimes. She thinks people are just wowed about a loaded gun.

I hope people realize that the purpose of carrying a firearm is for protection whether it is concealed or open. They have to be loaded and at the ready. Or, what’s the point? Of course you readers already know this. One has to be confident about their skills and knowledge of firearms. A quote from a friend on Facebook who commented about this, “Hasn’t anyone heard of Jeff Cooper and Condition 1?”